Walker rescued from beauty spot

The man was walking near Gibsons Cave when he slipped

Mountain rescue volunteers were called out after a walker injured himself at a County Durham beauty spot.

The man was with his family near Gibsons Cave at Bowlees, Upper Teesdale, when he slipped in heavy snow and seriously hurt his leg.

The Great North Air Ambulance attended but was unable to land nearby.

Eight members of the Teesdale and Weardale rescue team assisted paramedics in carrying the man to a waiting ambulance on Sunday afternoon.

Heavy snow

Chris Roberts, deputy team leader, said: "The man was apparently walking along the path when he slipped and possibly fractured his lower leg.

"An ambulance from Barnard Castle and the Great North Air Ambulance originally attended but the man was some distance from either the ambulance or the helicopter.

"Eight of our team members assisted the ambulance service in carrying the patient approximately half a mile along the path back to the Bowlees car park where he was transferred to the ambulance and taken to hospital."

The heavy snow did not hamper the rescue operation, he added.